what happened to my bar?

[paul hill]

I need some advice on what happened to my bar. I had a carb kit put in my saw and went to try the saw out under a load to see how it cut. About 2 seconds int the cut the chain stopped and I pulled it from the cut, saw was still running. checked the chain and I was unable to move it on the bar at all. Took the bar and chain off and 2 drive links were stuck in the bar on the bottom side just back from the tip. Where the links were stuck was a small black mark on both sides of the bar approx 1/4 inch up. Pulled the links out by hand but they won't go back in without force which I didn't do. Checked the wood I was cutting, nothing in it. It was a 20 inch piece of dead juniper. The saw is a Pioneer p-41 with a brand new ( cut less than 15 cuts with ) Oregon 20 inch laser tip solid nose bar. The chain is a brand new same as the bar oregon chisel chain. The oiler on the saw is woking great, as a matter of fact I was going to adjust it down a little bit . Where the links were stuck, there is no damage other than the black marks and in looking in the bar channel it does not look any smaller but it must be. Any help would be great.

thanks, Paul

 

[sedanman]

Do the bar and chain have the same guage? A used .063 chain will fit an .058 bar but not oil well. See if another chain will fit in the groove, this will tell you where the problem is, bar or chain. I suspect you'll find the bar grrove is tight. This may be otugh to fix as "just back from the tip" is where the hardness of the bar changes on a solid nose bar. very careful dressing with a cut off wheel on a dremel is what I would try after verifying that the groove was actually tight.

 

[treeclimber165]

Sounds like the shop that installed your carb kit used a vise on the bar to hold the saw. This can be done if you don't squeeze it near the edge, but can screw up a bar if you do it incorrectly. I'd contact the shop and see if they will spring for a new bar, then fix the old one for a backup.

 

[paul hill]

Yeah I double cheked tall that stuff just in case but the bar and chain are both 50 guage. Tried another brand new chain and an older chain and it doesn't change anything. The damage is on the part of the tip that is hardened. Is it possible that there is a defect in the bar and/ or chain or was I the defect?

 

[tundraotto]

treeclimber is right, they propably have used a vise to pinch the bar groove on the bottom - or they/you have knocked it against something just right to pinch the bar groove. the black mark is from the friction on the area were the bar is piched, you can try opening it with a flat head screw driver and a hammer (by tapping the screwdriver formard along the bar groove only opening the groove very little at a time if youre keen to fix it yourself) or have it professionally done.

 

[Methoss084]

It is common for some shops to put the bar in the vise to hold the saw while working on it. The shop I used to work in did that until an 028 WB came loose from the vise and went almost through the bathroom door.

 

[paul hill]

Thanks for the ideas. I looked at the bar and don't see any signs of it being in a vice but I know that it could have been padded with something as to not mark it up. I'm going to call them tomorrow and ask about the vice. they're real honest folks so I think they'll tell me if thats it.